Rolex’s latest watch doesn’t look like anything else the brand makes. That’s part of what makes it great.
Rolex/Ulysse Frechelin
At last year’s Watches & Wonders show in Geneva, Rolex introduced a brand-new product line called the 1908. A dress watch on a leather strap in yellow gold or white gold with its Perpetual movement visible through a sapphire caseback, the 1908 looked like nothing else in Rolex’s catalog.
But since Rolex had so many off-the-wall releases last year (emoji-dial Day-Date, anyone?), the 1908 didn’t end up drawing much attention. At this year’s show, Rolex has gone back to its conservative roots and refrained from releasing anything too outside the norm.
That is, except for the new 1908, which feels less like a Rolex than any other watch in The Crown’s current lineup.
What Makes This Year’s 1908 Different?
The guilloché dial is unique to the 1908 in platinum.Rolex/Ulysse Frechelin
After debuting white gold and yellow gold versions in 2023, Rolex launched the first platinum 1908 this year. The use of platinum in and of itself is fairly rare for Rolex but not out of character, as the brand offers a handful of other platinum watches such as the Day-Date and Daytona. But a platinum watch on a leather strap? That’s something we haven’t seen from Rolex in some time.
Even more unique is the dial of the new 1908. Again, the use of ice blue here is not unheard from Rolex, as it’s popped up on other platinum watches. But an ice-blue dial with an engine-turned guilloché finish — scratch that, two different guilloché finishes, one on the center of the dial and another on the minute track — makes this dial feel very unique indeed.
When it’s all taken altogether — this year’s new additions of the ice-blue guilloché dial and the platinum case combined with the leather strap and display caseback that bowed last year — Rolex’s latest 1908 dress watch sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the brand’s offerings. But that is not necessarily a bad thing.
Talk of the Town
Although introduced last year, the 1908’s display caseback still feels bizarre for Rolex.Rolex/Ulysse Frechelin
Whether you’re a Rolex acolyte or you can’t stand the brand (though sales data suggests fewer people actually dislike the brand than those who claim to), there is no denying the 1908 platinum is special. It’s uniqueness certainly plays a role in making it feel special, as does its breathtaking beauty.
The watch is easy to appreciate and even easier to admire, even for those who know nothing about watches. For example, I shared a video of the watch on Instagram and a friend of mine who knows less than nothing about watches commented, “I love this.”
But it’s not just novices who are smitten with this unexpected Rolex. Even hyper-critical watch nerds are singing its praises. “While Rolex had a quieter slate of releases this year, the 1908 feels like a standout,” wrote Tony Traina of Hodinkee. “This is exactly what the 1908 should’ve been from the start, with a gorgeous dial and a perfect weightiness,” wrote Mike Razak of aBlogtoWatch. “The Rolex 1908 in platinum is the bee’s knees.”
In many ways, the new 1908 doesn’t feel or look like a Rolex. But that certainly isn’t hurting its appeal. If anything, it seems to be helping it stand out more.